CHAPTER 251: CHAPTER 246 THE DISAPPEARING SECT! GREAT UPS AND DOWNS!_1

The Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre had always been cunning and should have silently controlled Tianxing Sect, expanding the Heart Devil Realm in secret.

How could they possibly start a massacre?!

Wouldn’t that be revealing themselves?

The Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre wouldn’t do something this stupid!

Could there be unknown hidden details?

"We are also unaware of this matter. We only know that all disciples of the Tianxing Sect mysteriously disappeared without a trace, leaving the sect empty..."

"Tianxing Sect is left with an empty shell. Although not destroyed, it’s not much different from sect annihilation..."

All disciples of Tianxing Sect disappeared?

What happened?

Was it not the work of the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre?

Or could it be some unknown Bizarre Demons?

However, this Bizarre Demon’s appearance is too coincidental, and its power too terrifying!

The situation of Tianxing Sect’s Nascent Soul Ancestor is unknown, and there must still be several Golden Core Cultivators within the sect, as well as a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

For all of them to mysteriously disappear without even a message getting out.

There’s a big problem with this!

I always feel that this matter cannot be separated from the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre.

Jia Ren remembered a Bizarre Flying Boat he once rode, which nearly took him into a dark world filled with Bizarre Demons.

Could it be that the Bizarre Boat was summoned again by the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre?

If the cultivators of Tianxing Sect were influenced by the Bizarre Boat and could not see the true scene, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for them all to be pulled into a bizarre world.

This could also explain the mysterious disappearance of the Tianxing Sect cultivators.

Jia Ren wasn’t clear about what had happened to Tianxing Sect, but the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre had given up the plan to control them in secret, choosing to cause the disappearance of the entire Tianxing Sect instead.

There’s too little information!

The ones who knew are probably no longer in this world...

"All the trade associations in the major territories of the Tianxing Sect have been raided. If we don’t take action, others will only benefit..."

The news of the disappearance of the entire Tianxing Sect spread like a plague, and the Qunxing Archipelago, being relatively distant, seemed forgotten.

If it weren’t for someone coming to the Qunxing Archipelago and planning an attack on the Tianxing Trade Association, it would likely have taken some time before the news of the entire Tianxing Sect’s disappearance would be known.

"I’ll take this place!"

Looting? Sharing profits?

Eating the whole feast alone tastes much better!

The reputation of the Tianxing Trade Association was well established. Without the Tianxing Sect, moving in and taking over posed no problem.

The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators quickly understood Jia Ren’s intentions and left hastily without a word.

Might makes right in this world. Without sufficient power, how can one compete with late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators?

They didn’t even dare to leave a harsh remark, fearing it would provoke Jia Ren into action.

"Thank you, Senior Zhen, for your intervention..."

"No, it should be Shopkeeper Zhen! We will definitely help the shopkeeper look after the store well."

The shop attendants and maids hurried over, their faces wearing ingratiating smiles.

They had heard the words of the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators. With the Tianxing Sect gone, they needed to find a new master for the shop.

The only Tianxing Sect member in the store was a Late Stage Qi-Refining Steward, who dared not provoke Jia Ren. Being a man who understood the times, he proactively offered the shop and switched allegiances.

"I won’t be polite then; everything will remain as usual."

Facing the benefits delivered right to his door, Jia Ren did not hesitate to accept the Celestial Star Shop.

"Open the treasury; I’ll take some goods."

The first thing after taking over the shop was to inventory the treasures of the Tianxing Trade Association and take all the valuables.

Only when benefits are in hand are they truly your own; one can never guarantee what accidents might happen in the future.

With the treasures secured, even if the Celestial Star Shop was gone, he’d still get the biggest slice of the cake.

"Change the name of the shop."

With the Tianxing Sect’s demise, the name ’Tianxing Trade Association’ stood out too much.

The customer traffic it might attract couldn’t outweigh the hidden dangers it might bring.

If other Cultivators came to Wanling Island and saw the Celestial Star Shop, they might think there was an opportunity to take advantage and raid the shop...

This could bring unwarranted disaster to the shop!

For the shop’s long-term stability, it’s essential to nip any threats in the bud.

"Please, Shopkeeper, bestow a name."

With the Tianxing Sect gone, the name ’Celestial Star Shop’ was indeed inappropriate. Having a new owner naturally called for a new name.

"Call it Cloudcoming Store!"

Jia Ren casually picked a name for the shop, not paying much attention to it.

The greatest value of the Celestial Star Shop lay in the supplies brought by the Tianxing Sect. Without that supply, it was no different from a regular shop.

Zhang Pengpeng’s small store that she managed was enough to meet the need for Spirit Stones, so the Cloudcoming Store wasn’t highly valuable, and he wouldn’t invest much effort into it.

"We will change the name right away."

The store attendants dared not delay and quickly changed the name. Jia Ren left, satisfied with his haul.

Just then, a bloodstained figure flew towards the island from afar, his face pale and tinged with panic.

The person was one of the two unlucky Golden Core Cultivators whom Jia Ren’s Insect External Incarnation had seen through the Xuan Guang Water Mirror not long ago.

The two Golden Core Cultivators had been traveling together; now only one appeared, the other’s whereabouts unknown.

"The Magical Beasts didn’t follow," Qi Yuankang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, his face showing the joy of a narrow escape.

That Third-order Late Stage Monster Beast was terrifying!

Luckily, I reacted in time, detonating Magic Artifacts and Talismans, leaving my fellow disciple behind.

When faced with danger, neither of us could outrun the Monster Beast... it was enough to run faster than my companion.

Qi Yuankang was a step slower than his junior brother. As danger approached, to save his own life, he ambushed his junior brother, buying precious time to escape.

He left his injured junior brother to face the Third-order Late Stage Monster Beast alone.

I wonder if he can survive...

He probably can’t escape.

The junior brother was seriously injured, with a Third-order Late Stage Monster Beast in hot pursuit; his chances of survival were slim.

Out of caution, I’ll still linger on the Qunxing Archipelago.

As long as he’s alive, I can think of a way to remedy the situation, or... silence him.

Qi Yuankang tilted his head back and swallowed a few Elixirs, restoring his Spiritual Power.

I must not have checked the almanac before leaving; my luck is terrible!

Failing to find the Shrimp Demon, then encountering a Third-order Late Stage great demon, and nearly perishing in its maw—such awful luck.

Hopefully, this streak of bad luck won’t continue. It would be best if my junior brother died at the Monster Beast’s claws, to avoid future complications.

"Huh, there’s a Celestial Star Shop here?"

"This might just be a turn of fortune."

The Tianxing Sect had been destroyed for quite some time, and none of the missing sect cultivators had reappeared. Many suspected they had fallen prey to Bizarre Demons.

The resources and territory of the Tianxing Sect had been forcibly seized, and the Celestial Star Shop had been looted by numerous cultivators.

Even if the Tianxing Sect cultivators returned, they wouldn’t find a trace of their sect’s belongings.

The Celestial Star Shop on the Qunxing Archipelago is still here?!

A shop’s resources were not insignificant. Even for a Golden Core Cultivator, it was no small sum, comparable to the gains from hunting a Third-order Monster Beast.

Although he hadn’t managed to hunt the Third-order Monster Beast, obtaining a Celestial Star Shop for nothing wasn’t bad either.

"Haha, my luck has finally changed!"

Qi Yuankang hastened to the Celestial Star Shop, ready to claim it for himself.

With the Tianxing Sect no longer backing it and no powerful cultivators to guard it, taking over the shop was as easy as reaching into a bag.

Would a Golden Core Cultivator be interested in the Celestial Star Shop? Jia Ren frowned as he saw a Golden Core Cultivator approaching the Celestial Star Shop. Realizing the situation was dire, he decisively mounted his flying sword and quickly fled.

The two passed by each other, both in a hurry.

"The Tianxing Sect is gone! The shop is ownerless! This place now belongs to me!"

The Golden Core Cultivator’s Spiritual Power Fluctuation erupted, surging forward like a landslide and tsunami.

The shop attendants’ faces changed dramatically, turning ashen.

How could they possibly resist the power of a Golden Core Cultivator?

Even with the Formation at full power, it couldn’t stop a Golden Core Cultivator for more than a few breaths.

"Senior, you’re a step too late! A cultivator named Zhen Yi just took over the Celestial Star Shop and even plans to change its name... He has taken all the valuables here!"

They had little loyalty to the new shopkeeper, Zhen Yi. The Tianxing Sect disciple who had been quickest to pledge allegiance to Jia Ren was the first to betray him!

He had previously been dissatisfied with Zhen Yi using the Celestial Star Shop’s name for his own profit at public expense.

Without a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Tianxing Sect present, he had dared not express his anger, forced to suppress his thoughts.

Seeing a Golden Core Cultivator arrive, and fearing the newcomer might kill him to vent frustration if he found nothing, he quickly told all he knew.

A step too late?!

"Where is he?"

"He was the late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who just brushed past you..."

Infuriating!

Just one step behind!

Luckily, there’s still a chance to remedy this.

Qi Yuankang turned, searching for the departing late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but found no one behind him.

The man was too alert; in such a short time, not even his silhouette could be seen...

"I can show you the way."

The Tianxing Sect disciple, by revealing information to the Golden Core Cultivator, had already offended Zhen Yi and would inevitably face retaliation.

If that’s the case, I might as well offend him completely and use another’s hand to kill him.

The Golden Core Cultivator wouldn’t stay on the Qunxing Archipelago for long. When he leaves, someone will surely manage the shop. If I perform well, won’t the opportunity be mine?

This is different from managing the shop for Zhen Yi.

Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators can only throw their weight around in small places; their deterrence isn’t strong. With Zhen Yi staying on the Qunxing Archipelago, under his very nose, how would I get a chance to line my own pockets?

Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators were willing to be assigned to manage shops in distant places, mainly for the potential profits.

Handled well, the profit margin could be vast.

Enough to ensure a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s cultivation without worry, let alone someone in the Qi Refinement Realm.

Following a Golden Core Cultivator offers far greater prospects. With a Golden Core Cultivator’s reputation backing the shop, no one would dare to covet it.

Changing masters is the best choice.

"Good!"

"You won’t lack rewards after this!"

Qi Yuankang was wondering how to resolve the issue. The Qunxing Archipelago was vast, and finding a cultivator in hiding wouldn’t be easy.

Having someone volunteer to lead the way would make finding his target much easier.

The residences of many cultivators were not secret; many people knew exactly who lived on which island.

Qi Yuankang carried the Tianxing Sect disciple in one hand as they swiftly flew towards a distant island.

"No one?!"

Empty Sun Island was deserted, with no sign of Zhen Yi.

"He must have guessed you would come and ran away in advance..."

The cave contained nothing of value; Zhen Yi was too cunning, having fled ahead of time.

"This infuriates me to no end!"

It feels like my treasure was snatched away by someone else; it’s too frustrating!

The initial joy of discovering the Celestial Star Shop, the helplessness of arriving a step too late, the determination after learning the island’s location, and now this...

Life’s constant ups and downs... mostly downs...

"I refuse to believe you can hide forever. I’ll see where you can run!"

Refusing to give up, Qi Yuankang began to search everywhere, scouring the entire Qunxing Archipelago.

No matter what, I have to drag that fellow out!